Fence-post brace.



Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

G. SCHNEIDER.

FENCE POST BRACE.

Y APPLIOATION FILBDTBB. 13, 1911A 1,003,520.

Attorneys Witnesses GOTTLEIB SCHNEIDER, OF BLUFFTON, INDIANA.

FENCE-POST BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

Application filed February 13, 1911. Serial No. 608,318.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GOTTLEIB SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bluffton, in the county of 4Wells and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Fence-Post Brace, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to fences, and more especially to the poststhereof; and the object of the same is to produce an improved brace fortemporary or permanent use in holding in vertical position a fence postat the end of a stretch of fencing, as at either side of `a gateway orat the corner of a field. This object is accomplishedby the constructionhereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in thedrawings wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of this i1nproved bracecomplete, showing its upper end partly in section. Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal section through the base plate and the members thereof.Fig. 3 is a plan view of the base plate and its members. Fig. 4 is across section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Inthe drawings the letter P designates a fence post seated in theground, and B is the base of a bracing device intened to lie upon thegro-und at some distance from the post and be connected therewith by awire W. The letter I designates an inclined brace leading obliquelydownward from a point near the top of the post to the base B, and S is ascrew by means of which the lower end of this brace is pushed forwardtoward the post. The details of construction of these various parts formthe essence of my present invention, and will now be described.

The numeral 5 designates a cup secured to the post by a nail or screw 6passing axially through the botto-m of the cup into the post as shown,and interiorly this cup may have a central plug 7 somewhat smaller thanthe wall of the cup so that it will center the upper end of an inclinedtubular brace I which is preferably a piece of metallic piping, eventhough the latter be somewhat smaller than shown. The lower end of thispiping surrounds a plug 17 extending obliquely upward from the front endof a block 15 which slides upon the base B, and the specific manner ofmounting and holding and adjusting this block will now be set forth. Bypreference the body of the vblock extends downward through a slot 16formed longitudinally in the base, and has an enlarged head 18 at itslower end which moves between ribs 19 formed on the lower face of thebase and which rests upon the ground or is embedded in the groundslightly; and this structure prevents the block from rising out ofplace. T'ransversely through the body of the block is secured va pin 2()whose extremities slide upon shoulders 21 formed on the upper face ofthe base B at either side of the slot 16; and by this means the blockvisprevented from falling out of the base. Said shoulders are notched neartheir front ends as at 22 in Fig. 4, so that when the block is movedforward in the slot 16 the extremities of its pin 20 may be passeddownward through said notch to remove the block from engagement with thebase. A hook 23 at the rear end of the wire W en? gages the closed frontend 24 of the slot 16, and hence the base may be disconnected from thiswire when desired. The other end of the wire is secured around the postP in any suitable manner, as by the loop 25. Transversely through theblock 15 are formed one or more holes 26, and possibly a notch 27 isvformed across its rear end; and the numeral 28 `in Fig. 4 designates alarge rod or bar, somewhat longer than the pin 20, adapted to beinserted through one of said holes 26 or to extend across the notch 27with its extremities leading outward onto the sides of the base beyondthe slot. 16 therein. My

preferred means for adjusting said block 1.5

forward cons-ists in mounting the screw S insuch a way upon the basethat it may be removed therefrom. Rising from the base at either side ofthe rear end of the slot 16 is a hook 30, beneath whose bill 31stands anut 32 extending across the space between these hooks, and the screwlies in such space and passes through such nut. Its front end enters asocket 33 .formed in the back of the block 15, and preferably bearsagainst a metal plate 34 seated in said socket so as to takeup the wearof the end of the screw as the latter is rotated. This is accomplishedby any approved means, as by applying a wrench to the squared end orhead 35 of the screw. It is obvious that when the latter is turned tothe right the block 15 will be pushed forward, its pin 20 sliding uponthe shoulders 21, and this action will cause the inclined brace I topush to the left the post P as illustrated in Fig. 1. After the post hasbeen set up as straight as desired and the block has reached the forwardlimit of its movement, I insert the bar 28 and make use of thefastening-means which will now be described.

Rising from the face of the base B at either side of its slot 16 is aseries of projections 40, each preferably having a vertical front face41, and if desired the upper face of the base may be transverselygrooved as at 42 just across the front faces of the projections 40 asbest seen in Fig. 8. The bar 28 when inserted through one of the holes26 oracross the notch 27, will extend across a pair of said front faces41 and lie in agroove 42 ifgrooves be provided, and it will be clearthat this bar while thus engagingthe projections 40 will prevent theblock 15 from beingpushed to the rear by the strain of the fencing as itis brought upon the post, whilethe pin. 20 which is nearer the frontenolV of the block and rests upon said shoulders 21, prevents the blockfrom tilting under 'the-A strain. Thereafter the screw may beremoved,and this is accomplished by rotating it to the left until itstip is drawn out of the socket 33, then pushing the screw and its nut.32 forward, and then raising both the screw and the-nut from the I slotbetween the hooks 30. Bythisy means I remove from the device the screwand its nutwhich are the 'only members that need so as to be easilyV andcheaply made.

It is obvious that this device may be used as a fence tightener, becauseafter an 1nclined post has been straightened up anda permanent braceputin place. to hold it there, the entire device above described ycan beremoved and used at another.point.-

1. Ina fence post brace, the combination with a block having transverseopenings in itsbody and a plug at its front end, a pin fixed throughtheforward part of the block with its extremities'projecting to bothsides thereof, an inclined tubularr brace whose lower end engages'saidblock and whose upper end abuts against the post to be tightened, andascrew for adjusting said block; of a base having a longitudinal slot inits bodyclosed at both ends, connections betweenthe frontend of saidslot and a fixed object, a nut carried by the rear end of the base andthrough which said screw Vis threaded, projections rising from the baseat either sideof the slot and more remote from each other than thelength of said pin, and a bar longer than the pin and removably insertedthrough one of said'openings in thel block with its extremities engaginga pair of said proj ections.` v

2. The herein described fence post brace tightener, the saine comprisinga base having a longitudinal slot through its body closed at both ends,ribs depending from the base along the sides of said slot, means forholding the base stationary, a nut carried by its rear end, and a screwtaking through said nut; combined with a brace, a block whose uprightbody moves in said slot and is adapted to be pressed against the lowerend of the brace by tightening up said screw, said body havingtransverse openings throughit, a head at the lower end of the body widerthan said slot, projections rising from the base and spaced from eitherside of the slot so as to leave shoulders next adjacent the latter, theupperface of the'base being transversely grooved at points just forwardof said projections, the walls'of said slot having upright notches nearits front end, a pin fixed through the body of the block and adapted torest on said shoulders or to drop through said notches, and a barremovably engaging one of the openings in the block and adapted to beengaged in front of a pair of said projections and to lie in one of thegrooves.

3. The herein described fence post brace tightener, the same comprisinga base having a longitudinal slot through its body closed 'at both ends,ribs depending from the base 'along the sides of said slot, means forholding the base stationary, a nut carg ried by its rear end, and a'screw taking be neatly constructed, the remaining parts' being bypreference of rough metal c asting through said nut; combined with abrace, a block whose upright body moves in said slot and is adapted tobe pressed against the lower end of the brace bytightening up saidscrew, said body having transverse openings through it, ahead at thelower -end of said base wider than said slot, projections rising fromthe body and spaced from either side of the slot so as to 'leaveshoulders next adjacent the latter, the walls of saidslot havingupright'notches near its frontend, a pin fixed through the block andadapted to rest on said shoulders or to drop through said notches, and abar removably engaging one of the openings in the blockand adapted to beengaged in front of one pair of said projections. l

4.k Theherein described fence post brace tightener, the same'comprisinga base having a longitudinalk slot through its body closed at both ends,means for holding the base stationary, a nut carried by its rear end,and a screwtaking' through said nut; combined with a brace,a block whoseupright body moves in' said slot and is adapted to be pressed againstthe lower end of the brace by tightening up said screw, said body havingVtransverse openings through it, a head at the lower end of thebody'wider than said slot, projections rising from' the base and spaced from'either side ofthe slot so as to leave shoulders next adjacent thelatter, the walls of said slot having upright notches near its :frontend, a pin fixed In testimony that I Claim the foregoing as through theblock and adapted to rest 0n my oWn, I have hereto aiXed my signaturesaid shoulders or t0 drop through said in the presence of two Witnesses.

notches, and a bar removably engaging one GOTTLEIB SCHNEIDER. of theopenings in the block adapted t0 be Witnesses:

engaged in front of one pair of said pro- FRANK M. MGFADDEN,

jectons. JOHN Moon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

